Renewing Old Bonds
by Suzuran-san
Summary: It has been five years since he left...again. He wasn't really planning on returning until a little mischevious person got involved. Now he is forced to return to an angry wife.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Okay, so I decided to upload a new story. That's probably a bad idea since I still need to finish my other story. And I will finish it. I just have a slight writer's block. This idea has been floating around in my head for a while and I just wanted to write it down before I went crazy!

I'm not exactly sure where I'm going to go with this story. It might be short or long depending on how I feel about it. But that's why I'm posting it. I want all of you to tell me what you think. It may be a little confusing, but most prologues tend to do that. Hopefully you like it. Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

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><p>Renewing Old Bonds<p>

Prologue

The nighttime sky was an incredible blue filled with tiny, sparkling diamonds. It was a breathtaking sight anyone would enjoy. Unfortunately, everyone in Konoha were fast asleep, dreaming of peace, love, war, and maybe even vengeance. The silent village had shut down for the night. Villagers were in their warm beds, resting their minds and body from the days hard work.

Somewhere in the village, there was one soul that was not resting. He stood over the bed of his sleeping wife. He watched as her chest rise and fall as she was breathing. Her long tresses were displayed all over her pillow. Her mouth was slightly open. Her face was peaceful.

Bending down on his knees, the man leaned over his wife. He softly caressed her soft cheeks with even strokes of his thumb. She moved slightly, which startled the man. He quickly froze in place, making sure not to make any sudden movement. A few seconds later, he realized that she was still asleep and relaxed.

He removed his hand from her cheek and continued to look at her sleeping face. He might later regret what he is about to do, but right now it was the best decision.

"Thank you."

He let the words come out in a soft whisper. He wanted to say more, but he couldn't find the right words.

He silently maneuvered through the dark room like any skilled ninja would do. He came over to a small crib and picked up his sleeping son. The three month old baby didn't react at all from being picked up. He instinctively curled up in his father's arms.

Picking up a small backpack, the ninja headed towards the open window of the bedroom. He looked back at his wife before he leapt out of the window into the warm summer air, carrying his son and a small pack.

He silently hopped over the roofs of the villagers, heading to the Hokage tower.

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><p>Tsunade was still up working on some overdue paperwork. Around this time in the night, she would usually down a bottle of sake and pass out here on her desk. But she was expecting someone. Just thinking about the situation made her wary. That man was a fool. He may be a great ninja, one of the best, but he still lacked a strategic method of dealing with certain situations.<p>

The Hokage leaned back in her chair, closed her tired eyes, and tried to forget about the idiot in mind. Just then, she heard a quiet knock on her door. Speak of the devil.

She quietly murmured for him to enter. And he did. He slowly walked in and closed the door with ease. He looked tired himself, but that was probably from sleepless nights with his newborn son. The baby boy was wrapped in a blue blanket, sleeping.

"Sasuke, are you sure you want to do this?"

The Uchiha didn't reply right away. He was thinking through his options very carefully. He finally looked down at the bundle in his arms and then to the Hokage.

"I think it's the best option."

Tsunade didn't understand what was so great with this plan. To everyone else, it would look like he's running away again. This time with a baby. It would be like repeating what he did oh so many years ago.

"I want what's best for him. I don't think staying in the village is the best. People still look at me as a criminal. I don't want him growing up and being shunned because his father made some bad choices. I don't want him to have the life I had."

Sasuke felt strange telling this to the Hokage. They're not particularly close to one another, but she did cut him some slack when he came back to the village.

Tsunade could understand some sense in what he said. But she still doesn't approve completely. "They're going to be crushed once they find out."

"I know."

Silence filled the room. There was nothing to say. They both understood each other at that point. Tsunade started once more. "I'll keep in touch. Once you're ready, I'll assign you missions." She paused for a moment before getting up out of her chair. She walked towards the young man in front of her.

Sasuke understood. He carefully handed her the small bundle in his arms.

Tsunade held the baby boy with care. He had a great resemblance to Sasuke except for one small feature. The Sannin let a small smile grace her lips. "He's going to grow up to be strong just like his parents."

She handed to baby back to Sasuke. "Take care."

"Same goes for you."

That was the last thing he uttered before he disappeared out the door and into the quiet summer night. He didn't look back as he left the village once again.

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><p><strong>AN:** There you have it. Please review and tell me what you thought! Constructive criticism is welcomed :)


	2. Hikaru

**A/N:** Thank you to those of you who reviewed the prologue. It somehow influenced me to write the next chapter of my other story Learning to Live. And right after that, I started on this chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! :)

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><p>Renewing Old Bonds<p>

_Hikaru_

_Five years later..._

The hot summer sun radiated through all of fire country. Not too far away from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, a small town was located nearby. It was a civilian town. It was rare to see a ninja pass through the tiny town.

Somewhere in the town, a young boy around the age of five, sat on the porch of an old woman named Akina. His little legs were dangling off the porch as he watched many people pass by the small house. His bright green eyes were focused on a dog across the street. The dog was limping towards a short man with gray hair. The man held out a piece of meat, which the dog quickly snatched from his hands. The limping dog turned the next corner and went into a dark alley.

"Akina-baasan, when is Papa coming home?"

The old woman named Akina turned to the small boy with a large smile on her face. "Be patient Hikaru. Your otou-san is on a very important mission. He'll be back soon before you know it."

Hikaru sighed. It has been three days since he saw his otou-san. He was on a very important mission in the Land of Waves. Hikaru never knew what his dad had to do on these missions. He always pictured him fighting bad guys and winning. The little boy couldn't wait for his dad to come home since he promised to bring back some strawberries. Thinking about it made Hikaru smile.

Just then, a crash was heard. Startled by the sound, Hikaru jumped off the porch. He saw two ninjas in dark clothing run past him. They each had a sword and straw hats.

A moment later, Hikaru saw two other ninjas rush past him. One had a shock of yellow hair with large blue eyes. The other had long pink hair and eyes similar to his own. Hikaru fumbled through one of his pockets and pulled out a picture he took from his dad's belongings.

It was a picture of Hikaru when he was a baby. His mother was holding him with a warm smile. She had long pink hair and green eyes that were the same as his. His father was standing next to his mother with his hands in his pocket with a small smirk on his handsome features.

Hikaru looked in the direction he saw the two ninjas past by. The one with pink hair had to be his mother. Without thinking, he started running in the direction of the ninjas. He didn't stop once, not even to the warning cries of Akina.

Arriving at the scene, Hikaru hid behind a cart filled with cabbages. The two ninjas in dark were laying on the floor unconscious. The blonde and the woman he thought to be his mother were standing over the two on the floor. They looked worn out. Looking closely, Hikaru saw the pink-haired woman's hands glowing a greenish color. She placed her hand over a cut on the blonde's arm and the young boy watched as the cut instantly disappeared.

Wanting to hear them, Hikaru ran towards the edge of a building closer to the duo. He stuck his head out from the corner to get a better look at these ninjas. The blonde had whisker like marks on his face. He was unnaturally tanned and had a well built frame. He wore a green vest under dark blue clothing. He had a forehead protector around his head that had the same symbol his dad had.

The woman had long pink hair that reached her waist. Her clothing was much different from the blonde ninja. She wore a red tank top with a mesh vest under it. She had on a tight black skirt that came to her mid thing. Wrapped around her thigh, was a kunai holster. She had ninja sandals that came up to her mid-shin. Her forehead protector was tied around her neck instead of her forehead.

"So what are we going to do with these two?" The blonde man asked the woman.

"We have to take them back to the village. Tsunade will probably deal with them there."

"I say we just leave them here. They can't possibly do much harm. Catching them was way too easy."

"Naruto! We can't just leave them. Come on. Grab one and let's go. I want to go home and pass out on my bed."

Naruto chuckled sinisterly. "Oh? I know the real reason you want to go to bed, Sakura-chan."

Sakura smacked him hard behind the head, causing him to fall head first on the ground. "Baka! Let's go."

"You're so much more violent than you used to be." Naruto whimpered out in pain.

Each grabbing a body of the unconscious ninjas, the two disappeared in the woods.

Hikaru looked at the picture he was still clutching in his hands. That ninja just now had to be his mother. She looked exactly like the picture he held. His father told him that his mother passed away years ago. Did his otou-san lie to him?

Without realizing it, the small green-eyed boy started crying. His sobs were heavy and his tears were flowing freely down his round cheeks. His entire body was shaking furiously from crying so much.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed him. Hikaru turned around and saw Akina. The old woman was surprised by his tears. She quickly pulled him closer into a hug.

"What's wrong Hikaru? I told you to stay away from those ninjas. Did they hurt you?"

Hikaru couldn't respond coherently, so he shook his head. He put his arms around Akina and sobbed into her clothes.

The old woman didn't have the slightest clue as to why this boy was crying. Not worrying about it too much, she carefully picked him up and carried him back to her home.

She placed him on her living room couch and wiped the tears from his face. Retrieving a blanket from the hall closet, she placed it over him. Hikaru had stopped crying by now. Exhausted from all the crying, the little boy quickly fell asleep.

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><p>The giant silver moon in the sky illuminated everything in sight. That included the small town below. Sasuke walked through the small, silent town with a basket of strawberries in his hand. He shook his head. Hikaru may have his looks but he was more like Sakura than he was like himself. Everything about his son reminded him of the pink-haired kunoichi he left behind. Strawberries were one of the biggest factor. Hikaru ate the fruit more than anything else.<p>

Sasuke came to the small house he usually left Hikaru to stay. The woman that lived here, Akina, has been gracious to him for the past few years. She always took care of Hikaru when Sasuke had a mission. He knew his son was in good hands.

He slowly knocked on the wooden door. A few seconds later, Akina appeared at the door and opened it for Sasuke to enter.

"What a relief. I thought you weren't going to make it back tonight."

"I was a little delayed." Sasuke held up the basket to indicate what took him so long to return.

Akina gave a warm, welcoming smile to the older Uchiha in front of her. "He's sleeping on the couch."

"Was he good this time?" Sasuke knew that Hikaru could really throw a tantrum when he has to wait for a long time. But other than that, he raised him to be respectful.

Akina's smile faltered for a bit. "There was a little problem. A few ninjas came into town today and he followed them. It took me a while to find him. When I did find him, he was crying."

Sasuke's brows furrowed. Ninjas rarely passed through this town. He walked over to the couch and saw Hikaru sleeping. He didn't look troubled at all.

Sasuke carefully picked his son up and the boy instinctively curled up like he would always do. The older Uchiha turned to Akina. "Thank you for looking after him."

"It's a pleasure having him around."

Akina walked both son and father out the door and into the warm evening air.

Sasuke continued to carry Hikaru home. They lived in a small cottage half a kilometer away in the woods from the small town.

Sasuke liked this area since there were hardly any ninjas. That's one of the reasons he chose to live here five years ago. The main reason was because he knew Naruto and Sakura wouldn't think of looking for him in an area close by.

Arriving at the small cottage, Sasuke took Hikaru up to his room and tucked him in. He was about to leave when he heard a small whimper coming from the bed.

Sasuke walked back towards the bed and leaned down on the side. Hikaru's expression changed immediately. His face looked worried and scared. Silent tears were streaming down his face. Sasuke really wanted to know what happened earlier with those ninjas. How had they hurt him without touching him?

"Mama."

Sasuke froze in mid thought. Now he understood. The ninjas weren't bothering him. He was just thinking about Sakura. But how did she all of a sudden come into his mind? Hikaru never once asked about his mother. The only time Sasuke ever talked about Sakura was when he was telling Hikaru that she passed away shortly after he was born. His son never questioned him about his mother from that point. It was just a known fact not to talk about her.

Sasuke gently shook Hikaru to wake him from whatever dream he was having. The little Uchiha resisted for a while before he was fully awake.

"Papa? Is that you?" Hikaru's small, innocent voice could barely be heard.

"Aa. What were you dreaming about?"

Tears started to form once again in the little boy's eyes. "Mama. I saw her today."

Sasuke wasn't expecting that. "Are you sure it was her. It could be someone that looks like her."

Hikaru twisted around in his sheets for a few seconds before pulling out the photo he had earlier. He showed the picture to Sasuke. "She looked _exactly_ like this. It was Mama!" He was starting to get frantic.

Sasuke looked at the picture and then looked at Hikaru. He sighed. Of course the boy would go find the picture that was hidden in the very back of his closet. This was definitely Sakura's son. Stubborn and mischievous in every way possible.

"You're right. It was your mother. I'll explain everything to you in the morning, okay? Just go to sleep and get some rest. Papa is very tired at the moment."

Hikaru's tears stopped. He let a big smile spread across his face. The boy jumped up and tackled his father in a giant bear hug.

Sasuke briefly smiled before embracing his son. He let go and tucked Hikaru back into bed once again. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Papa."

Sasuke exited the room and closed the door slightly. He walked towards his own room and shut the door with a reassuring click. He walked to the middle of the room and sat on his bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. He never planned on telling Hikaru about Sakura. It was only bad luck that she managed to pass through the town. It was also bad luck that he found that picture and knew what Sakura looked like.

Sasuke kicked off his sandals and pulled his clothes off his body. He crawled into bed and let his tired eyes shut. He was planning on falling asleep right away, but that seemed impossible since his head was filled with images of a certain kunoichi not too far away. Eventually, he fell asleep.

His dreams were filled with nothing put pink. Pink hair and green eyes.

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><p><strong>AN:** Please review and tell me what you think. Hopefully the next chapter will be uploaded shortly :)


	3. Run Away

**A/N: **I'm extremely sorry for the long wait. AP classes are such a pain :p But the good news is that I just graduated and should be free all summer to write. I plan on writing more and updating more frequently. I hope you enjoy this new chapter of Renewing Old Bonds! :)

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><p>Renewing Old Bonds<p>

2. Run Away

A bright light filtered through the cracks of dark curtains and hit Sasuke's sleeping face. The annoying light caused the dark haired man to open his eyes while squinting to avoid any sunlight. He grumbled and turned on his side. It was already late. He couldn't go back to sleep no matter how hard he tried. Looking at the bedside clock, he realized he had slept later than usual. It was already a quarter to eleven.

Getting out of bed, Sasuke grabbed a T-shirt and tossed it over his head. He walked downstairs and into the kitchen to see Hikaru eating the strawberries he had brought home for the little boy.

Hikaru paused after taking a bite from a rather large strawberry. He heard someone enter the kitchen and turned to his father. He managed to give a big smile regardless of the strawberries in his mouth. "Good morning, Papa!"

Sasuke smiled at his son. "You shouldn't talk when you have food in your mouth."

Hikaru swallowed the remaining strawberries and laughed. "Gomen", he mumbled.

Sasuke nodded and walked over to the coffee maker. He never used to drink the beverage until after Hikaru was born. He never thought raising a child would be so difficult and tiresome, especially alone.

The older Uchiha looked out the kitchen window above the sink into the woods. It was a clear day. The sun was already high in the sky and shining brightly. It was going to be another hot day in the Fire Country.

"So where's Mama?"

Right. He forgot he was supposed to tell Hikaru the truth about Sakura and why had lied for so many years. Would the small boy understand where Sasuke is coming from when he tells him he did it to keep the boy out of a difficult life?

Probably not. No child would understand.

Sasuke waited until his coffee was done brewing. He poured himself a mug and sat down in the chair across from Hikaru.

"I'm sorry, Hikaru. I lied about your mother passing away. Your kaa-san is well and alive."

"Why did you lie?"

"Let Papa finish." Sasuke took a deep, silent breath before continuing. "Mama lives in Konoha. She's a ninja like me too. But the people in Konoha don't like Papa. Papa has done some bad things before and the villagers are upset about it. If you lived in Konoha, then they might not like you either."

"But why is Mama not living with us?" Tears were starting to form at the corners of the young Uchiha's eyes.

"Because everyone likes Mama. Mama has a good life there. The people of Konoha needs your mother."

Hikaru started wailing at this point. He didn't understand. He had a mother all this time, yet his father had kept it a secret from him.

Hikaru continued to ball his eyes out. He jumped off his seat and ran to his room.

Sasuke watched his little figure run up the stairs and heard the loud bang of his bedroom door. He decided to give Hikaru some space for now.

He sipped the last bit of coffee in his mug. What was he supposed to do now?

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><p>A few hours later, Hikaru came downstairs with a small pack. Sasuke watched as his son walked into the kitchen and grabbed the basket of strawberries in his tiny hands. He walked into the living room and stood directly in front of Sasuke. Black met emerald green eyes.<p>

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I want to go spend the night with Akina-baasan."

Sasuke studied the facial expression on Hikaru's face. He didn't show any sort of emotion whatsoever. It was blank. It was like someone wiped away the hurt and tears he had endured a few hours ago.

Slowly, his facial expression changed from complete blankness to pleading. His eyes were shining brilliantly. "Please, Papa."

Sasuke couldn't deny him anything when he looked like that. "Fine."

Hikaru's face lit up instantly as leaped into his father's arms. "Arigatou!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down. Just let me get ready and we'll head over soon." Maybe it was a good idea to give the small boy some time to himself. Of course he wouldn't want to be around his father after learning the truth.

Locking up, Sasuke watched as Hikaru ran ten steps ahead and started heading towards the small town. It was mid-afternoon still. As Sasuke predicted, it was extremely hot. He silently walked behind Hikaru with his hands in his pockets. He watched as Hikaru walked in front of him. His expression seemed carefree. He would occasionally stop to look at a small animals and bugs. Once, he took a stick and started poking at the shell of a snail. He laughed and continued to walk.

Sasuke smirked. What exactly went through that kid's head?

Soon enough they were on the porch of Akina's home. Sasuke knocked three times on the door and waited for the old woman to answer. The door opened and the Uchiha's saw the welcoming face of Akina.

"Akina-baasan!" Hikaru ran into her arms. Slim arms wrapped itself around the small frame.

"And what do I owe to this pleasant surprise?"

"Hikaru would like to spend the night here. Is that okay with you?"

Akina had a warm smile on her face. "Of course, it's fine. I would love to have him stay with me. Would you like to have some pie before you head back? I just baked it."

Sasuke contemplated on it for a few seconds. He looked at Hikaru and then back at Akina. "It's fine. I'm not too hungry right now."

"Suit yourself."

"I'll pick him up tomorrow afternoon." He turned to the young Uchiha. "Give Papa a hug before I leave?"

Hikaru walked over to his father and gave him a hug. Sasuke squeezed him tight and instantly let go. He hopes Hikaru can forgive him soon. He doesn't want to ruin his relationship with the only person he has in his life.

"Be good to Akina-san."

Hikaru nodded and ran into the kitchen for some pie.

Akina lead Sasuke out the door and bid him goodbye. She returned to the kitchen to see Hikaru trying to cut a slice. He was trying to be careful but couldn't help but make quite a mess. The gray haired woman walked over to the child and helped him with a piece of pie.

He ate to his heart's content with a smile on his round face.

"So what would you like for dinner?"

"Ramen!"

"Well I guess we're having ramen then." Akina walked over the cupboard to get some ingredients ready.

"I'm terribly sorry Hikaru. It looks like I don't have the ingredients for ramen. I was actually going to head into the market to do some shopping before you and your otou-san came. Would you like to join me?"

"No thanks. I'm a little tired." Hikaru had finished eating and was just staring at his empty plate.

"That's fine. Go take a nap on the couch and I'll be back in a while."

Without saying a word, Hikaru went over to the couch and laid down. He closed his eyes and eased his breathing. Akina grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and placed it over him. She grabbed her purse and walked out the front door.

The door made a reassuring click. Hikaru opened his eyes and got up. He tossed the blanket aside and hopped off of the couch. He retrieved his small pack and started rummaging through its contents. He had some basic survival utensils. He had rope, a flashlight, bandages, water, strawberries, and some snacks which consisted of mostly candy he had received from Akina. He also had a kunai knife he secretly took from his father's supply.

He was determined to find his mother. He had to go to Konoha to find her. He knew his father might get angry, but it didn't matter to him.

He walked out the back door and went around the house to avoid being seen by anyone. He ran towards the direction he last saw his mother and the blonde ninja. Slowly, he entered the forest and hoped to find the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

He walked fifteen minutes until he stumbled upon a path. He looked in both directions to decide which way to go. Like any ordinary kid would do, he closed his eyes, held out a pointed finger and spun around a few times. He stopped before he got any more dizzy and opened his eyes. Choosing a path, he headed South.

Walking was starting to become tiresome for the small Uchiha boy. He had been walking down the same path for forty-five minutes. He stopped and leaned against a nearby tree. He pulled the water out from his pack and gulped down a few sips. He plopped a strawberry in his mouth before he continued on his journey.

Thirty minutes later, the sun was starting to set and Hikaru's legs have become tired. His eyes were focused on the ground and the path in front of him. He looked up and noticed that there were less trees around him. Staring straight ahead, he saw a large wall. Getting excited, he ran until he touched the wall. Maybe this was it. Maybe his mother was behind this wall.

Walking alongside the wall, he slowly dragged his feet until he saw two large gates. He didn't immediately run inside though.

His father, being a ninja, always told him to be cautious of his surroundings. He should always be aware of what is around him. With that thought in mind, Hikaru made his way closer to the gate and peeked inside the village. There was a small post where two guards were sleeping. They looked younger than his father.

Taking this chance, Hikaru entered through the village gates quietly and chuckled to himself. He might become a great ninja in the future if he could get past these gates.

He soon found himself on another path. He was surrounded by trees as well. Coming to a stone bench, he hopped on and pulled his pack off his shoulders. He took another sip of water and ate a few more strawberries. He was so close to finding his mother.

He hopped off the bench and headed into the main streets of the village. Entering the main streets, his eyes widened in amazement. Lanterns were strung over the streets. There were many booths filled with games and a variety of foods. Men, women, and children were dressed in yukatas and kimonos.

Hikaru had never seen so much excitement in his life before. He was too used to the quiet town he lived in. Why would Papa ever leave a great place like this, he thought.

Snapping out of his daze, he pulled out the picture he had in his pocket and clutched it. He had to find his mother. Hikaru walked and blended into the busy crowd of the summer festival.

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><p><strong>AN:** Hope you liked it. I'm going to get started on the next chapter. I'm also going to be writing the next chapter for my other story as well. Please review and tell me what you think so far. Sakura and the other characters will be appearing in the next chapter!


	4. Reunited

**A/N: **Looks like I managed to update two times in one day! I still can't believe I got this chapter out. My fingers just might start bleeding. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

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><p>Renewing Old Bonds<p>

3. Reunited

Sakura walked down the crowded streets of Konoha. She maneuvered through the massive amount of bodies that passed her. She didn't even try to run or speed up her pace. She was already late to meeting the others. Plus she didn't want to ruin her kimono. It took forever to get into the damn thing. Even with all her complaints, she admired the beautiful clothing wrapped around her.

It had two layers. The bottom layer was a soft pink yukata made of silk. On the outside, her kimono was blood red. Cherry blossoms were sprinkled on the bottom left and along the hem of her sleeves. Her obi was a burnt orange that added a little color to her kimono. Not only was it a hassle getting into the kimono, but she sat for an hour and a half while her mother twisted and pinned her hair up. Half of her long hair was up in a side bun. Sticking out of the bun was a long pin decorated with small jewels and ribbons. Her bangs were parted to the opposite side of the bun. They were pinned back with two clips that matched her obi. The rest of her hair cascaded down her back.

Reaching her head over the crowd, she finally spotted the familiar ramen bar Naruto practically lived at. As she got closer, she could see her friends waiting for her. Ino seemed to be yelling at Shikamaru while the lazy genius just yawned. He obviously wasn't paying attention to anything the blonde girl was saying. Near them, Hinata was blushing furiously. Whatever Ino was yelling about could not be appropriate at all. The blonde tended to have a dirty mouth. Naruto finally noticed her and started waving his arm in the air like a maniac.

"Sakura-chan! We're over here!"

Naruto's loud mouth made everyone turn to her.

"Looking good Forehead."

Sakura shook her head. "I can say the same for you too Pig."

The blonder kunoichi snorted. "Well of course. When do I not look good?" She laughed.

Sakura turned to Shikamaru. "I feel so bad for you."

"Everyone feels bad." He remarked.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. How do I look? Pretty good, huh?" Naruto had that goofy grin on his face again. He has grown into a handsome man. That much she could admit. But she knows him too well, and knows that his personality is still that of a twelve year old. "You look great, Naruto. You might even look better if you kept your mouth shut."

"Why thank-HEY!" Sakura laughed.

"I think you look great too, Naruto-kun." Hinata's voice was no longer quiet and shy. She finally learned to respect herself and gained the courage she needed. But everyone knew that was thanks to the overly hyper blonde man standing next to her.

"Thanks Hina-chan!" Naruto leaned down and kissed her cheek. Hinata's face instantly lit up like a red Christmas bulb.

Then again, Naruto also made her weak in the heart.

Sakura looked around, but couldn't see the one person she was looking for. She tried to look over the crowd, but with no luck at all.

Suddenly, two strong arms encircled her waist from behind. "Miss me?" The person behind her leaned over her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. Turning around, she embraced the person she was looking for. "Of course I missed you." She got on her tip toes and planted a soft kiss on the man's lips.

"Why don't you two get a room already." Naruto would be the one to break the mood.

Sakura glared at her long time teammate.

Naruto chuckled. "Oh come on Sakura-chan. You and Isamu are always like this. We already know what you _really_ do when you two are alone."

Naruto felt instant pain in his jaw. "G-g-omen, Sakura-chan. You've gotten more violent over the years."

"And you've become even louder over the years."

Isamu burst out laughing. He was always entertained when he was around this group. "You will never learn, will you Naruto."

"Hey, I'm not the one dating the woman from hell over there."

"Try saying that again", Sakura threatened.

Naruto leaped behind Hinata for coverage.

"But Naruto's right", Ino commented. She turned to Isamu. "How the hell did you manage to land Sakura? She's practically a man hater."

"Why is everyone questioning my relationship? Isamu is just different from other guys. He's actually decent compared to other men."

He came up to her and put his arm around her. "Glad to know I'm decent", he teased.

"Plus he's gorgeous! Geez, Sakura. You always get the good ones."

Sakura blushed. Ino wasn't lying. Isamu was extremely handsome. He was tall and had a well-built figure that was strong and lean. His hair was white as snow which framed his face. His eyes were a lavender color that always seemed to sparkle. He had a defined jaw and a smile that would make any girl's heart melt.

Sakura couldn't ask for a more amazing man. She was truly lucky to have met him. She silently thanked Tsunade for assigning them the same mission a year ago.

"We're all here, so let's get this festival started!" Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and took off into the crowd. The other four sweat dropped.

"Poor Hinata." Ino sighed. Everyone nodded in agreement. Soon enough, they all entered the crowd trying to follow the blonde man.

They spent time at various booths. Isamu managed to win a silver heart shaped bracelet for Sakura. Ino complained to Shikamaru how he wasn't winning anything for her.

Naruto, on the other hand, was only eating everything in sight. Right now, it looked like his stomach would burst open.

Sakura smiled. It's been too long since she felt happy once again. She loved her job more than anything. She kept herself busy at the hospital and whatever missions she was assigned to. She was able to spend time with her friends. And now she had a wonderful man by her side. She wouldn't ask for more, except for...

It didn't matter. She didn't want to think about the past. She had spent too many years brooding and sulking. It was time to move on and she had.

Isamu grabbed her hand and kissed it. "What are you thinking about. You seem serene."

"I'm just happy. You make me happy."

He smiled that smile that melted her heart. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. "You make me happy too."

The couple walked until they caught up with the others. "Man, am I full." Naruto patted his stuffed tummy.

The group laughed at him. The night was good, until...

"Mama!"

Everyone paused and turned around.

"Mama!"

A small boy was making his way through the heavy crowd. He ran between legs trying not to get trampled. He stumbled a few times but he never gave up. He continued running towards the group.

Breaking away from the crowd, the little boy ran towards Sakura with tears streaming down his face. He crashed into her and shouted out once more.

"Mama!"

Everyone was in complete shock. Who's child was this? Why was he clinging onto the pink haired kunoichi for dear life?

Sakura looked down at the small child that had his arms wrapped around her. He was sobbing into her kimono while repeating the same thing over and over. "Mama, mama, mama, mama..."

Sakura bent down and separated herself from the little boy. She wiped the tears from his face. "What's wrong? Did you lose your mama?"

He continued to sob. After a while, he opened his eyes.

Sakura felt the world slip from under her feet. This boy had the exact same eyes as her. Now that she got a better look at him, he looked just like...

It couldn't be.

"But you're my mama", Hikaru shouted out. He wrapped his arms around her neck and clung onto her once again.

Sakura felt tears pricking at her eyes. She embraced the little boy tightly.

Her friends looked at the scene with pure shock and curiosity.

Pulling away from the kunoichi, Hikaru dug his hands into his pocket and pulled out a folded picture. He turned it so Sakura could see.

She immediately burst into tears. "Hikaru..." Her voice was already betraying her as it cracked.

Hikaru's eyes lit up. He smiled and tackled his kaa-san into another hug. "Mama!" Sakura couldn't believe it. Her son was alive. He was right here with her. But how...? She didn't care. She squeezed him closer to her. The tears wouldn't stop flowing out of her eyes.

"What the hell is going on here?" Naruto shouted. He looked terrified for some reason. His expression softened as he looked at the boy and Sakura. "Sakura-chan, is that really Hikaru?"

Sakura finally pulled herself away from Hikaru. He was amazingly beautiful. He looked exactly like his father aside from her eyes he inherited. How was this possible? Tsunade declared him and Sasuke dead four years ago. Why is her son standing in front of her right now?

"I finally found you, Mama." Hikaru grinned. Sakura didn't know what to say.

"Sakura, this boy is..." Isamu couldn't finish.

"He's my son."

"You never told me you had a son."

"Tsunade declared him and his father dead four years ago." She paused for a brief moment to look at Isamu's face. It didn't seem like he believed her. "This is a surprise for me too."

His facial expression softened as he looked at the young boy. He was fiercely clinging onto Sakura's hand. He walked over to Hikaru and bent down to eye level. "I'm Isamu. I'm a good friend of your mom." He stuck his hand out and gave a warm smile.

Hikaru half hid behind Sakura. She gave him a little nudge and smile sweetly at him. Hikaru looked at Isamu. He hesitantly held out his small hand and shook it with Isamu's. The man smiled at him.

The next thing he knew, Isamu was pushed aside and a the blonde man he saw the day before was in front of him. "Hey Hikaru! Remember me? I'm your Uncle Naruto, the next Hokage!"

Sakura hit Naruto in the back of the head. Hikaru watched as the loud mouth blonde fell to the floor. He burst out laughing while pointing at Naruto.

"Geez, Naruto. What are you trying to do, scare him?" Ino kicked him aside and yanked Hikaru way from Sakura and pulled him into a hug. "I'm your Aunty Ino."

Hikaru had a hard time breathing considering he was buried deep within her chest.

Sakura pulled him away and had him back in her arms. "Gomen, Hikaru. Your Aunty and Uncle are strange people." She smile at him. She could hear the protests already coming from the two blondes.

Becoming a little bit more serious, Sakura set Hikaru down and knelt down to his level. "Hikaru, how did you get here?"

"I ran away from home. I saw you yesterday in town. I asked Papa about you and he said you were here."

Sakura frowned. She remember passing through a small town on her mission yesterday. Hikaru was there at the time?

Then another realization hit her.

"Hikaru, where's Papa?"

"Right here."

Sakura froze. She slowly got up and turned around. Sasuke was standing five feet away from her. He had his hands in his pockets. He continued to stare at her with those dark eyes that hypnotized her. She could feel Hikaru moving behind her to hide.

"Sasuke..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Aww, the whole family is together once again. I wonder what will happen next ;) Please Review! :D

Oh and if you can't get a good image of Isamu in your head, I drew a sketch. You can find it at deviantart. My penname is sasusakufan1013 The image is just called "Isamu"


	5. Conflict

Renewing Old Bonds

4. Conflict

Sakura couldn't help but to stare at Sasuke. She felt as if she was trapped in a genjutsu. If she looked away, he would disappear once again. But she knew this was real. He was alive, standing just a few feet away from her, looking at her with those unreadable eyes.

Sakura had to admit, Sasuke still looked great. He was handsome as always. Taking a closer look, she also noticed the lines around his eyes signifying tiredness. He must have endured a lot the past five years. After all, he had to raise Hikaru alone.

Her fist clenched over her chest.

Sasuke deserted her. He took her son away from her. He left her to suffer again. The past five years were the hardest time in her life. She couldn't count how many long nights she spent crying. She didn't eat, she didn't sleep. She avoided everyone around her. After Tsunade declared them dead, her heart shattered. She was broken like a toy after many hardships.

It took so much time until she was a semblance to her normal self again. Naruto was always persistent. He tried to get her out of her misery so many times. For a while, she ignored him. After some time, she realized that she was never going to get the two most important people back in her life again. She climbed her way out of the deep, dark hole she had dug for herself and tried to pick back up on the life she stopped.

She spent more time training and working on her medical skills. She exhausted herself to the point where she couldn't make it home. Even though that distracted her from the past, it also paid off in rank. She got promoted to ANBU level by the Hokage. Of course, she was a medical ANBU.

Her social life also picked back up where she left it. Everyone encouraged her and made her feel happy once more. Soon enough she was her normal self once more.

But now...

Now Sasuke is standing in front of her. The person that had constantly made her suffer was right there. She could feel anger and resentment coursing through her system. She clenched her fist even harder. She was going to make Sasuke pay for what he's done to her life.

Getting into position, Sakura was about to leap at the Uchiha when a yellow flash passed her.

"Bastard!"

Sasuke saw Naruto coming at him and easily avoided the fist aimed at his face. Naruto flung past the dark haired man and landed on the ground. He didn't give up though. He tried to attack Sasuke once again. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and flung him over his shoulder, making him crash into Shikamaru. The lazy genius got a grip on the blonde's forearms and steadied him.

Naruto growled and jerked Shikamaru off of him. Looking at Sasuke, anger began seeping out of him. "Where the hell have you been?"

Sasuke focused on Naruto for a second before responding. "It doesn't concern you."

That tipped Naruto off. He took a step towards the stoic Uchiha to attack once more. He didn't really get a chance to do that.

Naruto watched as Sasuke was knocked off of his feet and flown into a booth. The man running the booth looked angry, yet terrified. Sasuke's form laid in the debris left from his crash. He got into a sitting position and winced as he felt a jolt of pain on his left cheek. Blood was slowly running down the side of his chin.

"Tch." He wiped the warm liquid away from his lips and furiously stared at the woman in front of him. Apparently, Sakura hasn't lost her touch. If anything, her punches were more powerful and a serious threat to any man's life.

Sakura's body was shaking. Angry tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. "It concerns all of us", she stated lowly.

"How could you just leave like that? What gives you the right to take my son away from me? Tell me Sasuke, what pathetic reason do you have now?" She was furious. Her voice was becoming louder. People walking by stopped and stared. At least, they started now if Sasuke crashing into a booth didn't get their attention before.

Taking another step closer, Sakura prepared for another punch. Sasuke got up on his feet and readied himself to defend against her powerful strike. Before Sakura could land another punch on Sasuke's face, she felt small hands tugging on her kimono. Turning around she saw the teary eyes of her son.

"Mama, please don't hurt Papa."

Sakura stared at her precious little boy. If only he knew how much his father was hurting her.

"Sakura, you should stop before any civilians get hurt."

Sakura turned to Isamu. He walked until he was close to her. He grabbed her fisted hand and squeezed it until she unclenched them.

Giving Isamu a thoughtful nod, she bent down and hugged Hikaru. "I'm sorry Hikaru. I'm sure you don't want to see mama like this."

He just gave her another hug in response.

Sasuke walked over to them. "Hikaru, we need to go home."

Immediately, Hikaru shouted out in protest. "I want to stay with Mama!"

"Sasuke", Sakura had to clench her teeth from screaming at him. "I'm not letting you take him away from me again." Upon those words, she squeezed Hikaru closer to her.

Sasuke inwardly cursed. He didn't even know why he bothered to ask. He knew how this was going to end. He was just relieved that Hikaru was okay and not dead. When Akina came knocking on his door saying something about Hikaru disappearing, he didn't waste a second running to the village. He knew that's where his son would go. The thought of him being lost and wondering off in the other direction didn't occur to him. Hikaru was smart. He was an Uchiha. And even though he hated the fact of Hikaru finding Sakura, he was happy that he did find her. Someone could have easily took advantage of a small child.

Not only was Hikaru set on staying with Sakura, but the woman herself isn't going to give him up so easily, or at all for that matter.

Sakura got up and lifted Hikaru into her arms. "I'm going to the Hokage's office."

She started walking before anyone could say another word. Silently, Sasuke stuffed his hands into his pockets and started following her.

Naruto and Isamu exchanged quick glances at one another before taking off after them.

The other three members stayed back and watched as they disappeared into the crowd. It's better if they didn't get involved at this moment.

"What a night this turned out to be." Ino huffed out in frustration.

"It's more troublesome", Shikamaru retorted.

Hinata continued to stare into the crowd even after she had lost visual of them. Shikamaru's statement was more accurate than he realized. She could tell that there are going to be some sort of trouble in the near future. Things didn't look too well at the moment.

* * *

><p>Tsunade stared at the group in front of her. She hadn't expected five bodies to enter her office with confused, angry, and curious looks on their faces. More or less, she didn't expect to see the famous Uchiha Sasuke and the child he took with him five years ago. Said man was being his usual self and leaning against the back wall with his arms folded across his chest. As always, he had a scowl and a look of annoyance plastered on his face. Five years away and he was still as stoic as before.<p>

Turning her head towards Sakura, she felt like running away from her student. She trained Sakura, so therefore, she knew what the girl was capable of doing. She also knew that Sakura is at the same level as her if not higher. Sakura could easily kill a man with one finger. But the look in her eyes could do more damage than that.

Naruto and Isamu were on the left side of the room trying not to make a single sound or movement. Tsunade didn't blame them. The air was thick feeling to it. If either one of were to try to break the atmosphere then they would have to deal with the wrath of her pink haired student.

Looking around the room once more, Tsunade still didn't know how to approach this situation. She didn't even know what to say. She inwardly took a deep breath and prayed to Kami-sama for a large bottle of sake later.

"Sakura, you have to understand why I agreed to this arrangement. Sasuke had a good point."

The kunoichi growled. "What part of taking a child away from his mother is good?"

"I'm sure you know what kind of problems Hikaru would have faced while growing up."

"Well right now I don't care what your reason is. I want to have full custody of Hikaru." Sakura's voice didn't waiver when she stated these words. She was determined to keep her son.

Sasuke pushed himself off the wall and walked forward until he was standing next to Sakura. "He's my son too. I didn't do anything wrong. I had permission from the Hokage." He faced the pink haired medic and looked at her with piercing eyes. "I have custody of him as well."

Sakura glared at Sasuke with all her might. "I'm not letting you take him away from me again." Her voice was low and threatening.

"Listen you two. This is not the time to be arguing. We can take care of this in the morning. Right now I want all of you to go home. Hikaru looks like he's falling asleep. You should put him to rest." Tsunade decided that she didn't want to deal with any of this at the moment.

Looking down, Sakura noticed that Hikaru was drooping in and out of consciousness. It must have been a long day for him. She suddenly felt Hikaru being pulled out of her arms. Sasuke lifted him up and held him while the little boy finally dozed off.

"I'll take him to the compound."

"No. I'll take him back with me to my apartment." Sakura refused to let Sasuke take Hikaru.

Sasuke looked really annoyed. Why did she have to be so annoying?

"Shut up! Both of you. Since you two are fighting like animals, I'll just take Hikaru under my guidance tonight." Tsunade could see Sasuke and Sakura's mouths open to protest, but gave them a pointed look before they could utter a word. "He'll be completely safe here. I assure you."

Sakura closed her eyes and furrowed her brows. As much as she hated doing this, she agreed with Tsunade. Sasuke looked at the Hokage carefully. They stared at one another for a moment, exchanging a silent words through their eyes. "Fine. I'll leave him with you for the night."

Tsunade nodded and allowed herself to relax her facial expression. She got up from her chair and headed towards the door. Knowing what to do, Sasuke followed the Hokage out the door. The others trailed behind them down the hall. Tsunade opened a door to an empty guest bedroom. Sasuke walked in the center of the room and place Hikaru on the bed gently. Sakura came and leaned down at the side of the bed. She took his shoes off and pulled the covers back. She tucked him in and gave him a soft kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow."

Everyone exited out of the room and into the hall once more. Tsunade left to get some guards to stay outside of the room all night.

Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, and Isamu stood silently outside of Hikaru's door until Tsunade returned with two ANBU guards.

"You guys can go now. Come back in the morning and we'll talk more about your situation."

Nodding, everyone walked towards the exit of the Hokage tower. Once outside, Naruto exclaimed a sigh of relief. "Whew! That was pretty intense."

"Sakura, I'll walk you home." Isamu grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the direction of her apartment.

She looked back and waved goodbye to Naruto. Glancing at Sasuke, she could see a flash of red in his eyes before they returned to black.

She ignored it and tightened her grip on Isamu's hand while he pulled her towards her apartment.

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><p><strong>AN: **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Seems like there's going to be a lot of drama...

Good news is that my updates are really starting to increase. You can expect the next chapter within the next few days if not tomorrow! Thank goodness for summer and the endless amount of time I have! :D


	6. Betrayal

Renewing Old Bonds

5. Betrayal

Naruto slurped his noodles while splashing ramen broth around him. It had been a long night and his appetite increased once more. Currently, he was at Ichiraku's with a steaming bowl of miso ramen in front of him. He inhaled the welcoming aroma before consuming everything in the bowl. He brought it up to his lips and slurped the last of the broth before slamming his bowl back on the counter.

"Man, that hits the spot! Can I have another bowl over here?"

Teuchi smile and ordered Ayame to get another bowl for their number one customer. He turned to the man sitting next to Naruto. "How about you? Another bowl?"

Sasuke shook his head in response. He hadn't even finished his first bowl. He was barely picking at the noodles.

Teuchi dismissed it and went back to work.

"Would you stop brooding already? Five years and you're still the same! Geez Teme!" Naruto had managed to somehow drag the stoic Uchiha to the ramen bar. Sasuke refused several times before he gave in to the blonde's consistent blabbering.

"Why the hell did you drag me here? An hour ago, you were trying to kill me."

"Well...that was just instinct, I guess. It was kind of payback."

Sasuke looked at Naruto blankly. "Payback?"

Naruto looked down at the bowl Teuchi had just placed in front of him. The steam hit his face and warmed him up. He could feel the drool in his mouth. He split his chopsticks and thanked Teuchi for the food.

"I felt angry after seeing you. You ran away again and took the most important thing in Sakura-chan's life."

"Aa."

Naruto slammed his hand down on the counter. "That's all you have to say? Sasuke, do you know how much pain you inflicted on her? How long it took for her to be normal again?"

The blonde's eyes were starting to become watery out of fury. "What the hell was going through your mind when you decided to take Hikaru and just leave? We spent a year looking for you before we got a report you were dead!"

Sasuke continued to listen as Naruto shouted at him. He already knew all of this. He knew how much pain it caused Sakura. He knew how furious his best friend was going to be. Yet, knowing all of that, didn't make the situation any better. He never planned on Hikaru realizing the truth and coming to this village.

"Just shut up already. I know all of that."

"Then why did you even do it in the first place?" Naruto was determined to find out what was going through his best friend's head.

Sasuke ignored the man next to him and threw some bills on the counter to pay for his meal. He calmly got off the stool and left Ichiraku's.

Naruto quickly pulled some bills out of his pocket and tossed them on the counter. Clumsily, he jumped off his stool and followed the Uchiha.

"Sasuke! Wait!"

Sasuke didn't stop walking after he heard Naruto's plea. The blonde caught up to him soon. Furrowing his brows together, Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued on his way.

Naruto strode alongside Sasuke in the nearly empty streets of Konoha with his hands behind his head in a casual way.

"Is there a particular reason you're following me?"

Naruto chose not to answer the Uchiha's question. Instead he just continued to walk silently next to him.

Konoha was quiet now. The festival had ended and most villagers were at home getting ready for bed. There were only a few people out wondering about. They probably had too much sake and had nothing else to do.

The two shinobis was no longer in the main streets o f Konoha. They were walking down a secluded street. Naruto thought this path looked familiar to him. He looked up and saw a large house up ahead. As he guessed, it was the Uchiha mansion Sasuke built and abandoned.

Sasuke stopped right in front of the gates. He lifted his hand up to push the gate aside. He rested his hand on the handle, but didn't push it forward to open it.

Naruto noticed this and suddenly felt anxious. "Sasuke, what's wrong?"

Sasuke didn't reply for a while, but Naruto waited patiently until he was ready.

A warm breeze was blowing around them. The trees were rustling softly. It was surprising a cool summer night considering how hot the day was.

"Who was that man with Sakura?"

Naruto had to strain his ears to hear Sasuke's question. Realization hit him hard in the head. That's what Sasuke was worrying and brooding over this whole time? A wide grin spread across his tanned face before he started cracking up.

Sasuke turned and glared at him. "What's so funny?" His teeth were clenched. He was going to kill Naruto.

The blonde man tried to calm himself down. He finally stopped and wiped some tears away from his eyes. "Isamu is a good guy. He makes Sakura-chan happy."

Sasuke tightened his grip on the gate handle.

"Looks like you missed your chance." Naruto snickered and turned to leaved. He walked ten steps before he paused and turned back to look at Sasuke. "Just a little warning, don't interfere. Things will only get worse and you'll hurt her more."

With that said, Naruto left and headed to his own home.

Sasuke stood in front of his home thinking over what Naruto said. Scowling, he shoved his hands back into his pockets and walked away.

* * *

><p>Sakura felt the warm breeze blow through her hair. She leaned back against the bench she was sitting on. After leaving the Hokage tower, she decided that she didn't want to go home right away. Instead, she walked quietly with Isamu.<p>

He was sitting next to her with his arm braced behind her back on the bench. Neither one spoke since they departed from Sasuke and Naruto.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about them."

Isamu looked at her with a gentle expression. He knew she had more to say.

"Sasuke disappeared with Hikaru when he was three months old. I woke up late that morning. I felt different. I was well rested and that's what tipped me off. I didn't wake up to Hikaru crying in the middle of the night. His crib was empty when I checked. Sasuke was nowhere in the house. I raced to the Hokage, but she claimed she didn't know anything. Naruto and I immediately set out to look for them." She paused. Tears were starting to form at the corner of her eyes. Her voice was becoming weaker. "After a year, they were declared dead. I was so lonely and ended up shutting myself off from the world. Nothing anyone said made a difference anymore."

Isamu saw the first tear fall and landed on her fisted hand in her lap. He grabbed her face and turned her towards him. He gently brushed away the tears streaming down her face and pulled her into a hug.

Sakura tightly wrapped her arms around him and started crying. Isamu gently stroked her back.

They stayed like that for a few minutes. After Sakura managed to calm down, she pulled away from the embrace and looked into two sparkling lavender eyes.

"Everything will be okay, Sakura. I don't care about your past. But right now, you have many people who care about you. We'll get you through this. I'll keep you safe."

He leaned down and placed a warm, gentle kiss on her lips. She leaned into him more and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Breaking apart, they stood up and headed towards her apartment. Isamu offered to stay with her for the night. Sakura would have loved that. Any other night, she would have welcomed him in and fall asleep with him. But tonight had turned into something unbearable. She wanted to be alone and think some things over.

He understood where she was coming from and respected her wishes. He kissed her once more before leaving.

Entering her apartment, Sakura had a bad feeling something was out of place. Disregarding this feeling, she locked the door and walked towards her bedroom.

Walking in, she noticed that her windows her open. Warm summer breeze was flowing in. She didn't mind. She needed some fresh air.

She went to her dresser and pulled the pins out of her hair. The hair that was up fell out of the bun and cascaded down her back. Looking through her mirror, she noticed a glint in the reflection. Turning around, she caught the kunai that was aimed at her head. She held the cool metal between her fingers and stared at it for a second. Casually, she placed it on her dresser.

"You should learn to lock your windows. Someone could easily kill you."

"And you should learn how to mask your presence a little better."

Sasuke looked annoyed. He pushed his body off the far wall near the bed and approached the pink hair kunoichi.

Sakura took a step back while Sasuke took a step further. This continued until Sakura couldn't move back anymore. Her back was leaned against the wall. "Stay away", she whispered.

Sasuke moved until he was right in front of her. He ignored her request and moved closer. He extended his arms and put them against the wall on either side of Sakura's head. "It seems like I'm not the only one to betray someone else."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly. She looked down at their feet to avoid Sasuke's eyes. She knew what he was talking about. She was surprised he was even bringing it up. "I didn't betray you."

Sasuke's eyes were focused on her face. He could barely see her eyes since she was looking down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "Then how come you don't wear this anymore?"

Sakura was tired of this. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away. "You went through my stuff?" She was furious. This idiot thinks he can just come in and play around with her emotions. Who does he think he is?

"It shouldn't be locked away."

"Sasuke, you're supposed to be dead. I don't have an obligation to wear that anymore."

Sasuke looked amused. "But I'm not dead."

Sakura gritted her teeth. "Well, that's what you made everyone believe." She was snapping at him now. He just angered her to no end. "Look, I've moved on. I'm happy."

He walked towards her again. He leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Are you sure about that?"

Sakura froze in place. She couldn't think. In her head she was screaming 'yes'. She didn't need him in her life. He only caused her pain and suffering.

Sasuke embraced her and her whole body went stiff. She didn't move her arms or do anything. Sasuke pulled away and lifted her chin with his index finger. Leaning down, he bushed her lips slightly.

Sakura's mind suddenly snapped back to reality. She pushed herself away from Sasuke. "What the hell are you doing? I'm with someone else, Sasuke."

His eyes narrowed and took on a sudden look of seriousness. "You're still married to me, Sakura."

Sakura glared at him. She knew that. But she was soon going to take care of that. She didn't belong to him anymore.

Sasuke walked over to the window and hopped on the ledge. He wasn't facing her anymore. "Hikaru won't leave now that he's seen you. We'll have to stay in the village now." Turning his head, he gave her a softer look. "I'll see you tomorrow."

And just like that, he disappeared again with that inhuman speed of his.

Sakura walked over to the window and closed it with a bang. She was not going to let Sasuke control her like that.

She changed into her night clothes and jumped into bed. She was dreading tomorrow. She didn't want to face Sasuke. All she cared about at the moment was her son.

Closing her eyes, Sakura brought her fingers up to her lips. A moment later, she clenched her hand.

Sasuke really was an idiot.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hope you enjoyed! Please review and tell me what you think :)


	7. Distance

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update. I've been a little preoccupied lately. But I was also working on the next chapter of my other story. I updated it last night by the way. I had a little difficulty writing the first half of this chapter, but the second half was pretty much written by itself. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Renewing Old Bonds<p>

6. Distance

Bright, morning light filtered through the windows and hit Sasuke's sleeping face. Groaning, he squinted his eyes open for a brief second before clenching them shut. Why did he always leave the curtains open?

Rolling over to get away from the light, his face crunched against some papers. Confused and sleepy, he slowly sat up and looked at the packet he rolled on, now slightly crumpled. He read over a few contents before his eyes narrowed. A low growl rumbled from his throat before he tossed the stack of papers off the bed.

Furious, he threw his head back onto his pillows and shut his eyes not wanting to think about the situation he's in. But that seemed impossible when a pink haired kunoichi invaded his thoughts.

_She moves fast. _Sasuke thought.

"You tend to sleep far later now than you used to."

Sasuke inwardly rolled his eyes. Opening his eyes, he looked at the clock on the nightstand to realize it was a little after eleven in the morning. That was later than usual. Hikaru has seriously messed up his sleeping pattern. Sitting up, he turned his attention to the scarecrow that always like to break into everyone's home.

"Kakashi."

The copy-nin's eyes shined in amusement. "What? No sensei?"

Sasuke ignored the older man. Taking a closer look at his former teacher, he noticed that Kakashi hasn't changed a bit. He looked exactly the same with that mask still covering his face. As always, he still had that god awful book with him. "How many times have you read that book?"

Kakashi was surprised by the Uchiha's question. He sprouted a smile under his mask. "It's really good. You might learn a thing or two about relationships, Sasuke."

Sasuke scowled and ignored Kakashi. "What do you want?"

Figures Sasuke wouldn't willingly talk about his relationship with a certain medic. Kakashi closed his perverted book and walked to the side of Sasuke's bed. He bent down and picked up the scattered papers Sasuke threw on the floor. He gathered them up in his hands and organized them once more. Geez! After all the trouble he went through to deliver them. He shuddered as he recalled his previous encounter with his one and only female student.

"You should take better care of these documents."

Sasuke huffed and climbed off his bed. He snatched the papers out of Kakashi's hands and walked over to the large vanity drawers on the other side of the room. He viciously pulled on the handle of the top drawer and carelessly through the papers once more. Slamming the drawer shut, he faced his old teacher. "I don't care about those damn papers."

Kakashi sighed and drooped his eyes. How did he get stuck with the most stubborn kids possible? Then again, he knew Sasuke would react like this. He didn't really blame the dark haired man.

Walking over to the open window, Kakashi hopped on the ledge. He pulled out his Icha Icha book and flipped to the page he was on earlier. "Sakura picked Hikaru up earlier this morning. She's going to spend the day with him. She expect those papers by the end of the day."

Without another word, he disappeared out of site.

Sasuke walked to the edge of his bed and slumped down on it. He ran his hand through his messy bed head in frustration. What was he supposed to do now?

* * *

><p>Hikaru fumbled with his chop sticks as he tried to look inside the large bowl placed in front of him. He was just a head too short to see and couldn't pick anything up with his chop sticks. Frustrated, he dropped his eating utensils. He heard a small giggle coming from his right. Looking over, he saw Sakura warmly smiling at him. He felt embarrassed and starting pouting.<p>

Sakura broke out in laughter after watching her son's reaction. He was just too adorable for his own good. "Here, maybe this will be easier." She lifted him off the stool next to her and gently placed him in her lap. She slid his bowl in front of them. "Better?"

Hikaru smiled and cuddled into Sakura for a brief second. His eyes lit up immediately as he grabbed a fresh pair of chop sticks. "Hai! Thanks Mama."

Sakura smiled sweetly at him and watched as he dug into his meal.

"Ne, Hikaru. Is the ramen good?" Naruto pointed one of his cheeky grin at the young boy.

Slurping up a rather large noodle, Hikaru carefully chewed and swallowed. He looked at Naruto with wide green eyes that held a little smile in them. "Yeah!"

Naruto laughed. "Good! Cause Ichiraku has the best ramen ever. Another bowl over here old man!"

Sakura sighed. "Hopefully he doesn't pick up the same habit as you, Naruto."

"What are you mumbling about Sakura-chan? Ramen is the best of the best."

Sakura looked at Naruto incredulously. She shook her head and decided to let it go. Nothing is going to convince Naruto that ramen is unhealthy to eat every day.

"Yo."

Kakashi walked into the ramen bar and sat on the stool that was previously occupied by Hikaru.

Hikaru turned and gave Kakashi a bright smile. "Ojichan!"

Kakashi returned his smile and sweat dropped. "Hikaru, I'm not really that old."

"Ojichan, why do you wear a mask?" Hikaru completely ignored the copy-nin's statement and referred to him as his grandfather.

"Don't worry about him Hikaru. Ojichan is a little strange."

"Yes, Mama. Ojichan is weird!"

Kakashi let out an exasperated sigh. "Like mother like son."

"At least he's more like Sakura-chan. Could you imagine what he would be like if he acted like Sasuke?"

Simultaneously, an image of a younger Sasuke looking grumpy popped into each of their heads. A slow chill ran down Sakura's spine. Thank heavens her genes dominated Hikaru's personality.

"That reminds me, how did things go with Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm, how do I put it. He's...displeased."

Sakura slumped her shoulders. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. Well, she still has until the day is over. She might as well get all thoughts of Sasuke out of her head and spend some quality time with her son.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for watching him for me."<p>

"It's no problem at all, Sakura." Hinata smiled shyly as she sat on the rug near Hikaru. Naruto was opposite of her, playing with the little boy. A blush crept up to her cheeks. It was very attractive seeing Naruto play with a child.

Both Naruto and Hinata had agreed to babysit Hikaru while she dealt with the older Uchiha that seems to be giving her problems.

"I'll be back later. Be good, Hikaru."

The young Uchiha boy grinned at his Mama and continued playing with the active blonde.

"Stop worrying, and go kick some ass!"

"Naruto! Don't swear in front of him." Sakura couldn't believe him. Glaring at him, she glanced once more at the couple and her son as she closed the door to her apartment.

It was six thirty and the sun was starting to set. Sakura slowly paced along the streets of Konoha as shades of oranges and yellows spread throughout the village.

She hasn't heard a single thing from Sasuke all day, surprisingly. She had expected him to show up randomly to argue but nothing like that happened.

She was a little anxious to see him. Their encounter in her apartment the night before started replaying itself over again in her mind. What on earth was Sasuke thinking? If he thinks she's going to run into his arms that easily, then he must really be insane. After everything he put her through, he shouldn't expect any kindness from her.

The best thing they needed right now was distance.

Sakura didn't even realize when she arrived at the Uchiha mansion. By now, the sun was completely set and the street lights were on. She pulled the gate open and walked to the large double doors.

Surprisingly, the doors were unlocked. She didn't need to use her keys after all. Stepping inside, Sakura heard absolutely nothing. The silence was deafening. This place brought back too many memories that she would like to keep buried deep within the confides of her mind. She hasn't been here since she was told that Sasuke and Hikaru were dead.

With quiet steps of a ninja, she walked through the hallway towards the living room. Sasuke was on the couch dozing off. Sakura relaxed her shoulders and walked towards the couch. His eyebrows were knit together. He looked like he was in pain. He must be having a nightmare. She leaned down and shook Sasuke's shoulder gently.

His eyes snapped open to display blood red pools. His hand whipped out and snatched Sakura's wrist. His grip on her tightened.

Sakura let out a small cry. Sasuke's hold on her wrist was deathly. She couldn't stand the pain that shot up her arm.

"Sasuke, calm down!"

Sasuke's tight grip loosened around her wrist as his eyes faded back into black. His body relaxed from its stiff form as he came back to reality. He turned towards the figure next to him. Sakura was now on her knees, holding back tears that had formed when he clutched her wrist.

Sasuke immediately sat up and looked at her with worried eyes. "What happened," he snapped.

"You tell me. You were having a nightmare." Her voice was quiet.

His fingers were still wrapped around her wrist in a loose hold. He held up her wrist and examined the damage he had done. A thick red mark was already formed around her wrist. Sasuke frowned and started to gently rub the injured area.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." His voice was low yet calm.

"It's fine. I can heal it." Sakura pulled her wrist from his hold and sat on the couch next to him.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Neither were looking at each other. They just sat. Sakura was the one who broke the silence.

"You still have them?"

"Aa. Every now and then, they come back."

Once again, the silence enveloped them.

Sakura knew Sasuke always had nightmares. Most of them were of his family and his brother. But she thought they had stopped after he married her. The last time she remembered him having a nightmare, they were in a middle of a mission. One of the last missions she went on with Sasuke before he left.

"Sasuke, we need to talk. Did you sign the papers?"

Sasuke let out a heavy breath. He was expecting her to bring it up earlier.

"No."

What was with this awkward pause between every sentence they muttered? This time, Sasuke was the one to break the silence.

"I don't want a divorce."

"It'll be better for both of us."

"What about Hikaru?"

Sakura thought about it for a moment. Hikaru might not understand, but he would still be with both of his parents.

"We'll talk about custody arrangements."

Sasuke ran his fingers through his unruly hair. He didn't know what to do. He looked over at Sakura and met her emerald green eyes. She looked uncharacteristically serious. Tearing his gaze away from her face, his eyes traveled south to her hands which were resting on her lap. He focused on the red wilts around her wrist. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Are you going to heal that?"

Sakura followed his gaze and looked down at her hands. Rolling her eyes, she gathered her chakra and healed her wrist. "Better?"

"Much."

"Sasuke, you have to understand where I'm coming from. You left me alone again. And this time you took our son with you! How do you think that makes me feel?" Sakura's voice was slowly getting louder.

"All you do is hurt me over and over again. My heart can't take it anymore. I think it would be best if we moved on with our lives. Right now... I'm happy." By now her voice was down to a whisper.

Rising up a little too fast, Sakura clenched and unclenched her fists. Sasuke couldn't tell what was going through her mind. Calming down a bit, she faced him with hard eyes. "Please sign the papers. Until then, Hikaru will be staying with me."

And before Sasuke could utter a single word, she was already out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **And Kakashi was introduced in this chapter! Yay! Everyone loves that silly scarecrow. As always, leave a review and tell me what you think.

I would also like to thank those who are reviewing. I always squeel like a silly school girl. It seems that a majority is a fan of Isamu and would like to see more Sakura/Isamu interactions. There will be more of that, but this is also a SasuSaku fic. So I'll have a little bit of both. Poor Sasuke. He's a little flustered and lost at this moment.


	8. Mission

Renewing Old Bonds

7. Mission

"Papa!"

Hikaru ran into his father's arms with full force. Sasuke scooped his son into his arms and placed a soft kiss on his head. Hikaru wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck and squeezed his tiny body into the older Uchiha's firm chest.

Sasuke smiled at the little boy that looked just like him. "Did you miss me?"

"Uh huh. But I've been having lots of fun with Mama!"

"That's good."

Sasuke gently placed Hikaru back onto the floor. He looked forward and saw Sakura's eyes observing him. "What?"

Sakura hadn't realize she was staring at them. It was strange seeing Sasuke like this. He looked at peace. She never saw him look like that before. It turns out he can be a father. And looking at Hikaru, she knew that Sasuke did a well job of raising him on his own. Of course, every time she thought about it, her chest would ache. She should have raised her son with Sasuke as well. A deep frown formed on her face.

"Mama?"

Sakura looked down and noticed that Hikaru was tugging on her shirt. He looked confused and worried at the same time. She could hear the unspoken question in his eyes.

"I'm fine sweetheart." She sprouted a bright smile to reassure him.

Looking up, she noticed Sasuke was staring at her. Much like how she was staring at him earlier. Though, she could have sworn she saw a hint of amusement. Did she have something on her face? Ignoring the idea in general, she decided to get down to business.

It's been a week since she last spoke to Sasuke. He still hasn't signed the divorce papers. It was starting to frustrate her. She didn't know how much patience she had left. On the bright side, she has been spending a lot of time with Hikaru. He seemed pleased to be with her as well. That was the only good part of this entire situation.

"How long will you be gone?"

Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts once more. "I'm not sure. It's an S rank mission." Averting her gaze from him, she focused on a pencil on her desk. They were currently in her office at the hospital. She had told Sasuke to meet her there to pick Hikaru up, while she prepared for her mission.

Sasuke frowned. "What is it?"

"You know I can't tell you."

Sasuke inwardly rolled his eyes. "Can you at least tell me whether or not you're going alone?" He couldn't hide the exasperation in his voice.

Sakura actually did roll her eyes. Sasuke didn't fail to notice.

_Annoying._

The medic didn't really want to deal with this mini interrogation session Sasuke seems to be pulling.

"It's me and three others."

This seemed to calm his mind a little. He didn't like the idea of Sakura going on solo missions, especially if it's an S rank.

Hikaru looked back and forth between his parents. They were both silent now. They were looking anywhere but each other.

Sakura was fiddling with a pencil on her desk. She really wished Sasuke would just leave. "I have to start packing. I'll come and say goodbye later on tonight."

Taking the hint, Sasuke turned to Hikaru. "Let's go."

Hikaru was a little reluctant. He turned to Sakura with questioning eyes.

"Mama has to go on a mission. You'll have to stay with Papa until I come back."

His eyes fell to the floor in disappointment. He didn't want to leave Sakura.

The pink haired kunoichi saw the look on her son's face and walked over to him. She kneeled down and raised his chin so she could meet his eyes. "I'll be back soon." She gently caressed his cheek and pulled him into a hug. "Be a good boy while Mama's gone."

Pulling out of her embrace, he kissed her cheek and ran over to Sasuke and grabbed his hand.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura once more before exiting out of her office.

Sakura slumped her shoulders. Her body immediately relaxed as she walked around her desk and fell into her chair. She released a long breath she didn't realize she was holding. The atmosphere around her and Sasuke is always tense. She just want him to sign those damn papers so she doesn't have to be around him.

Erasing her brain of Sasuke and all thoughts about him, she averted her attention to the manila folder on her desk.

She haven't had time to look through it. She skimmed through, briefly trying to get an understanding of the mission. Her eyes landed on a very familiar name she has heard about the past few years.

Rei Matsushita.

He's a famous drug dealer. Rumor has it that he's been abducting young women from small villages to turn them into slaves and experiment subjects. Other crimes he committed were always covered up. He's one of the most prestigious S class criminal in the world, ranking number one in the bingo book.

Sakura and her team are supposed to hunt him down. He's been causing havoc throughout each nation over past few years. He's been untraceable until one of Tsunade's Intel got a lead a few days ago as to where he might be. He's assumed to be on one of the islands surrounding the Water Country.

Sakura furrowed her brows. Things haven't been running smoothly with the Leaf and Mist. Diplomatic relations have been causing issues between the two countries for a while. How was she supposed infiltrate no man's land?

Sighing, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Something was tugging at the corner of her brain, telling her that this mission was going to end horribly.

Opening her eyes, she grabbed her belongings, locked her office and left to go pack for this mission.

* * *

><p>Sakura was in full ANBU gear, aside from her mask. That was in the pack slung over her shoulders. She's standing in front of Sasuke's door, deciding whether she should use her key or knock on the door. She didn't have to contemplate that thought any longer, though. The door swung open to reveal a very impassive Uchiha Sasuke.<p>

"How long did you plan on standing there?"

Sakura could feel the blood gather in her cheeks. Why didn't she wear her mask?

Sasuke didn't wait for her answer. He stepped aside so she could enter.

Walking in, Sakura noticed some differences. The house was much cleaner than when she last came. Sasuke must have done some serious dusting. It was really hard to believe.

The medic noticed a delicious aroma that wafted in her nose. Her mouth was starting to water. She turned to Sasuke with a questioning look.

He pointed towards the kitchen. Sakura took easy strides through the hallway and living room, until she reached the kitchen.

Hikaru was sitting at the newly polished kitchen table, eating what looks to be curry.

Hikaru wasn't alone in the kitchen. Turning towards the stove, Sakura noticed a woman stirring a spoon around in a large pot. She assumed it was the curry.

The woman was short. She had silver hair that was neatly placed in a low bun. She wore a dark green kimono.

"Would you like some more curry, Hikaru?"

"Yes please, Akina-baasan!"

Akina-baasan? Who was this woman? Sakura turned around and saw Sasuke a few feet behind her. She raised a questing eye brow at him.

"She's been watching after Hikaru every time I went on missions."

Akina heard Sasuke and turned around. Seeing the sight of Sakura, she gave her a warm, welcoming smile. "And who might this be?"

Hikaru looked towards his parents at the entrance. "Mama!"

Jumping off his seat, he raced into Sakura's arms.

"Akina, this is Hikaru's mother, Sakura."

Sakura released Hikaru before gently taking Akina's small hands in her own. "It's nice to meet you, Akina-san."

"The pleasure is all mine. You are such a beautiful young woman." She turned towards Sasuke. "You did well, Sasuke."

Sakura's face was burning at the old woman's comment. Did she really just say that? The pink haired kunoichi looked at Sasuke to see his reaction. He was looking anywhere but her. His head was turned the opposite direction of her. Sakura could almost see his lip twitch into a subtle smirk. She wasn't quite sure.

Akina, on the other hand, noticed the reaction of the two ninjas. It was all amusing to her.

"Sakura, would you like to join us for dinner?" Akina's cheerful smile was displayed on her face.

"I have to leave soon to meet my team..."

Sakura felt Hikaru tug on her hand. His wide green eyes were staring up at her. Sakura felt she was looking into her own eyes. They were so bright and pleading. "Please, Mama?"

Sakura looked at Akina, who's cheerful attitude made her feel warm. Turning towards Sasuke, she noticed he too was waiting for an answer from her.

"Alright, I'll stay for dinner."

"Wonderful! I'll get an extra plate." Akina rushed over to the cupboards in search of another plate.

Hikaru pulled Sakura's hand and lead her over to the round kitchen table in the center of the room. She sat down and watched as Hikaru climbed back onto his chair. A fond memory of feeding him resurfaced from her mind.

_"Hikaru, you're so messy." Sakura laughed and gently stroked his soft cheeks._

_The baby giggled as Sakura took a wet cloth and gently cleaned his face._

_She turned towards her husband and couldn't hold back the set of giggles that erupted from her tummy. Sasuke was covered in baby food. His shirt had stains all over it._

_Walking over to him, she leaned down and wiped off a smudge of baby food from his chin. _

_He flashed her a small yet gentle smile. Sakura's face flushed. It was a rare sight for her._

_She leaned down and softly placed a warm kiss on his cheek._

Sakura snapped back into the present as a hot steaming plate of rice and curry is placed in front of her.

"Arigatou."

Sakura looked up to see Sasuke sitting across from her. He was studying her intently. His stare made her nervous. She wanted to shift in her seat but quickly shoved that thought out of her mind. She didn't want to show she was uncomfortable. Glancing at Hikaru, she sprouted a smile. He had little rice pieces on his face. She reached over and wiped away some of the pieces.

He grinned at her and continued to eat his food.

Dinner was delicious. Sakura had to admit, Akina was one hell of a cook. The curry was flawless. She learned that the older woman lived in the town she passed through on her last mission. Hikaru was staying with her at the time.

The medic had no idea that Sasuke even went on missions. But as she thought about it, it made sense. Tsunade was the only one who knew Sasuke was alive and he had to make a living somehow.

Thinking about her shishou brought sour thoughts to her mind. She was still pissed at Tsunade for helping Sasuke. But there was nothing she could do now.

Sakura had already kissed Hikaru goodbye and helped tucked him in. Akina was in the kitchen cleaning up. She told Sasuke she was going to stay one more night before she went back home.

Now, Sakura was standing outside with Sasuke. The sun had set and the village came alive with various lights.

"I'll try to finish up and come back soon."

"Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes but did not argue with his monosyllabic response. Another thought entered her mind.

"Sasuke, please sign those papers before I get back." Her voice was gentle.

Sasuke's stomach twisted into a knot. He heard a desperate plea in her voice that he didn't want to hear. He clenched his hands in his pockets.

Sakura didn't wait for him to say a word.

"I have to go. I'm supposed to be at the gates in fifteen minutes."

Sakura fished her mask out of her pack and placed it over her face. She turned away from the great house and faced the direction of the main village gates.

She was about to leap away until she heard a small yet audible sound from Sasuke.

Though it was barely a whisper, she could hear the words Sasuke muttered before she disappeared.

"Be careful."

Sakura leapt onto a nearby roof and continued towards the gates. Under her mask, a small but sad smile danced over her lips.

_I'll try._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hope you enjoyed. I believe this mission will get the story going. It should be interesting. Anyways, thanks to those of you have been reviewing. Your comments really do encourage me to write. :)


	9. Unwelcomed Thoughts

Renewing Old Bonds

8. Unwelcomed Thoughts

Sakura increased her pace as she kicked off a tree branch. The wind was heavy and she could smell the faint scent of the salty sea air. They were close to the vast ocean. She and her team have been traveling a day and a half heading south in the Fire Country. They had to take the longer route towards Water Country to be inconspicuous.

Her team leader halted the group and turned towards them. "I'll go get our boat ready. Stay here until I give the signal to approach."

He took off without saying another word. Sakura was thankful that her captain was Neji. Glancing at her remaining teammates, Sakura didn't feel as uncomfortable as she would on this kind of mission. Most of the time she was placed in teams with people she didn't know. She was solely a medical ninja mostly. But she was somewhat satisfied to be with Neji and Isamu. She had no clue who her other teammate is. He was completely silent throughout their trip. He only nodded and listened to Neji's orders.

No one spoke for what seemed like hours to Sakura. Not even Isamu was speaking with her. That unnerved her. They always talked on missions. Sakura came to two conclusions in her head. One, he was uncomfortable around the unknown ANBU officer. Two, he's purposely not talking to her. She was hoping it was the former. If he was really avoiding her, then she didn't have a doubt as to why.

Isamu was a little uncomfortable about the whole Sasuke thing. He was perfectly fine with Hikaru. The little boy seemed to like him too. But that's probably because Hikaru only see's Isamu as Sakura's _friend_.

He wondered if Sakura will let Hikaru know that he's not just a friend. That maybe someday, if he gets the chance, he might marry Sakura. As soon as that thought came through his mind, red eyes flashed across it. Isamu was very well aware of the fact that Sakura was still married to Sasuke. She didn't hide it from him. She plainly told him the truth. He knew Sakura was trying to divorce Sasuke. But he also knew that the Uchiha was not going to give in so easily. Isamu didn't really blame Sasuke. There was something special about the pink haired kunoichi.

Just the thought that Sakura might fall into his arms again infuriated him. He was not going to let that man hurt her ever again. He vowed to protect the woman before him and he had no intention of breaking that promise. He clenched his fist and was thankful that his mask hid the anger shown on his face.

Sakura, on the other hand, didn't fail to notice this small gesture. As time went by, she could clearly see the distress in her boyfriend's stance. His hands were clenched into tight fists. The rest of his body seemed stiff and tense. The more she looked at him, the more she hated to think that this was because of Sasuke.

Receiving the signal from Neji, the trio hastily walked through the sandy beach and near the shoreline. The captain quickly introduced himself and motioned for everyone to climb on. "We'll be in Water Country by tomorrow evening."

Sakura inwardly sigh. That was another day and a half. She really wanted to get this mission over with. She took a deep breath and climbed on board. She might as well use this time to talk to Isamu and figure out what was going through his mind.

One of the captain's crew members led them to their own individual cabins. Once the crew member was out of sight, Neji addressed his teammates. "We'll rest for a few hours. Meet me up on the deck for further mission briefing after sundown."

With that said, the byakugan user retired to his quarters. Sakura shook her head. He was always in a haste. He wasn't called a prodigy for nothing. Turning around, Sakura noticed that one of her teammates had already entered his cabin.

She knew for a fact that it wasn't Isamu. He was calmly looking at her. She saw his beautiful lavender eyes through the peek hole and understood. Walking towards her own cabin, Sakura left the door ajar for him to follow behind her.

Isamu strolled into the small quarter and gently closed the door behind him.

Sakura heard a reassuring click of the lock. It seems like they weren't going to have a quick thought. That or he was planning on staying with her and cuddling up on the small cot with no talking. She was desperately praying for it to be the latter.

She took off her mask and he followed suit. Suddenly, the pressure of keeping up a façade melted away as she tossed her ANBU mask on a bedside table. Silently, both shinobi unfastened their equipment and set them aside.

Sakura watched as Isamu took a step forward. Anticipation was streaming through her as she watched him. This wasn't like him. She wasn't used to this silent treatment from him. His facial expression was just as blank as his mask. It was like he didn't even take his mask off.

Standing two inches away from her, he looked down at her with sparkling lavender eyes.

"Isamu...?"

Emotion flared in his eyes as she spoke his name. He wrapped his arms around her and pushed her onto the cot, climbing over her. He hugged her tight and buried his face in her shoulder, inhaling her scent.

"I've missed you."

Sakura was a little taken back by his actions and words. She freed her arms from his embrace and wrapped it around his neck. One hand was gently stroking his snow white hair. This action from her made him relax a bit more into her.

"What's wrong?"

He held her tighter. He was a little hesitant before he lifted his head and looked at her directly in the eyes. "Do you love me?"

Sakura was a little shocked. Where is this coming from. A small part of her told her she already knew the answer, but she quickly dismissed the thought.

"Of course I do. You know I do." Her voice was soft and reassuring.

Isamu didn't look convinced. His brows furrowed as if he was in deep thought. He shut his eyes for a moment before opening them once more. "Do you still love him?"

Sakura's body tensed immediately. She didn't have to ask who 'him' was. She was hoping she was wrong when thinking that Sasuke had nothing to do with Isamu's behavior. That didn't seem to be the case though. And the worst thing is, Isamu believes she loves Sasuke. That was just...ridiculous.

How could she ever love Sasuke when all he did was hurt her? He ran out on her and took her son away from her. What man would ever do that? She knew what type and it was Sasuke. He only ever cared for himself and no one else.

Sasuke only told her that he loved her once and that was after Hikaru was born. Thinking back, he might have just said that because she gave him an heir. As long as Hikaru was around, then the Uchiha name would continue to prosper in the future.

That thought alone made her bitter. Bitter against Sasuke. Of course, she doesn't resent him completely. She might have given him an heir, but he turned her into a mother. He gave her a son. He helped to bring Hikaru into this world.

Whatever love she had for him disappeared when he left her alone, with no husband and no son.

Isamu shifted and Sakura realized she didn't answer his question. "No. I don't love him anymore."

Again, he didn't look convinced.

Sakura pushed him up and sat on his lap. She took his face in her hands and looked him in the eye. " Sasuke is in the past. He's hurt me way beyond repair."

She pulled his face and placed a soft tender kiss on his lips. He was hesitant before he returned the sweet and gentle kiss. He leaned into her and strengthened their kiss.

Oh how she missed this. Pulling away, she looked at him once more. "I love _you_."

_Are you sure about that?_

Sakura ignored the small voice in the back of her head. She was relieved when Isamu flashed her one of his smiles.

He pushed her back down onto the cot and curled up by her side. Draping an arm her, he nuzzled her hair. "I love you too."

Sakura's heart sank. She wasn't sure if she deserved his love. She was a little unsure of her love for him.

_Maybe because he's not the one you love._

Sakura really hated the direction her mind was taking. She quickly shut off that little voice inside her and closed her eyes. She might as well get some rest before she started thinking of _other_ things.

* * *

><p><em>"Sa...suke..." <em>

Sakura's eyes shot open as soon as those words escaped her lips. She did a quick scan of her cabin and realized that it was empty. Isamu had left and he took his stuff with him as well. Slumping back down onto the cot, Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

She didn't want to imagine what would have happened if Isamu heard her say Sasuke's name in her sleep. Why did she say his name?

She can't even remember what she was dreaming about anymore. Getting up, Sakura pulled out a small watch from her pack. It was almost time to meet Neji and the others.

Sakura headed over to the small bathroom next to her cabin. She splashed her face with cold water to clear her head. Freshening up a bit, she headed to the deck. She had to focus. She couldn't let her errant thoughts jeopardize the mission.

On the deck, Sakura saw Neji and Isamu leaning over the edge of the boat. They were quietly talking to one another. That wasn't surprising. Isamu managed to get close to Sakura's friends. Even her quiet and serious friends like Neji.

On the opposite side, her other teammate was facing the other direction. His mask was off and Sakura finally got a good look of his face. He had wavy brown hair that barely covered his eyes. His eyes were a hazelnut brown that matched his hair. His features were simple. All in all, he seemed like a pretty decent guy. He looked older than her, but he seemed to be really shy. That or he's a very private person.

Feeling her stare, he looked over at her. His eyes held a questioning gaze.

Sakura felt a little embarrassed that she was caught staring. Shaking her head, she walked over to him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I was just wondering who I was working with."

He was quiet for a moment before he flashed her a smile. "It's fine. I'm Maruyama Daichi."

"It's nice to meet you Maruyama-san. I'm-"

"Haruno Sakura."

Sakura looked a little confused. Seeing her expression, he quickly replied, "You're Tsunade-sama's apprentice. Mostly everyone knows you."

Sakura laughed nervously. No matter how much her strength and fame grows, she will never get used to being acknowledged by people she doesn't know. It was a little flattering though.

"And please call me Daichi."

"Alright, Daichi-san."

"Haruno! Maruyama!"

The pair turned to their team captain. Neji finally noticed them and beckoned them over to join him and Isamu. He pulled out a map and held it up to show the others.

"This is the island we're heading towards. It's small and is just a few miles off the mainland." Neji looked up to see if they were listening. Three pairs of eyes were focused on him and the map. Tucking the map away, he continued where he left off. "Once we're on the island, we'll check into a small hotel. The town we'll be staying in is occupied by civilians alone. We'll get off this boat as civilians as well. No one can know we're shinobi. The following day, we will all gather information on our target. All of us except Haruno."

Sakura looked at Neji with a questioning brow.

Neji noticed and raised a brow of his own. "You do know what you're doing, right?"

Sakura slightly ducked her head. "Not really. I barely scanned the mission brief."

Neji exhaled deeply. How could she come on this mission blindly? "Sakura, you're going to have to go undercover as a whore."

Sakura looked at him like he was on fire. "Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said."

Neji continued to brief the others while she zoned him out.

She's gone undercover before, but never like this. And the man they're trying to find is turning women into sex slaves!

Sakura almost laughed. Her. A whore?

What the hell?

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry that this update took so long! I was a little preoccupied. But I'm glad I finally managed to get it up. I hope you enjoyed! :)


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